


Your Songs Remind Me of Swimming

by WoahThereSparky



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Langst, Little bit of angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tooth Rotting Fluff, its actually pretty cute, klance, mermaid au, merman!keith, siren-ish elements, we'll get to the fluff soon enough, well technically it's a merman au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-08-14 07:47:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8004271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WoahThereSparky/pseuds/WoahThereSparky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A small cove sheltered by rocks opens Lance's eyes to something he had never seen before. He was never much for believing in the supernatural, but maybe all those sea shanties were true.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rule #1: Never Be Seen

Lance never expected his first conversation with a supernatural creature to start with the word, “Shit." 

One word did not constitute a conversation however, no matter what he told himself.  
He was telling himself that on the walk back to his house, which seemed slower that night than ever before. Each step in his flip flops produced a sound that reverberated through the silent wooden flats that formed both the entrance and exit to the beach, as he frantically thought over what had just happened. 

Lance lived alone, in a flat on top of his shop on the boardwalk. He spent his time making trinkets out of things he found on the beach, seashell bowls, sea glass bracelets, and driftwood signs.  
Of course he sold the normal tourist shit as well, but he enjoyed making his crafts. The best part was the exploring the beach, the young man never knew what he would find. 

If Lance had the time, he would spend all night on the beach. It was then that everything was quiet and calm, the sun dipping low below the water. 

_“The sun works through the day. At night, it cools off by sinking into the ocean, where it rests for the next day." ___

__His mother had often told Lance that when he was little. Of course he knew it wasn't true, but he liked to think it was.  
He would often climb down the cliffs to a small shelf of rock to watch the sunset. He enjoyed the calming effect the stilled, dark water had on him. _ _

__After closing up shop, Lance began to think that he needed more adventure in his life. He quickly rattled off several possibilities in his head of what he could do, as he did every day after closing.  
He finally settled on something, exploring a different part of the cliffs tonight. He had never gone past the ones close to the shop, resulting in him becoming very familiar with them. He left everything behind in his loft, wanting to be completely unplugged to take in the new cliffs, and hopefully, a cloudless sunset. _ _

__He jumped the gate to the beach and walked to the rock formations. He passed his usual night spot, almost feeling guilty for leaving it, but this did not deter him._ _

__After walking along for several more minutes, he found the cliffs he was looking for. The view was stunning to say the least, but what intrigued him most was a small cove in the beach. He daftly clambered down the steep incline, landing on the grass with a thump._ _

__Two heads spun around to face each other and Lance could no longer breathe._ _

__In front of him was a creature straight out of a story book. He was humanoid, if you didn't include his sea like features._ _

__The man? Merman? Was stunning, a living Snow White.  
He had pale skin, which contrasted with the pitch black of hair that was long for a man, reaching past the nape of his neck._ _

__His face was littered with small scales that appeared to be holographic. They were red, with a purple tint to them, creeping up his cheeks, dusting his high cheekbones._ _

__Lance tried to take in as many of the other’s features as he could. The creature had a long, bright red tail with sharp fins on each side of it, and Lance made a mental note not to get too close. Yet, he felt strangely drawn to the red merman, he wanted to stay like this for a very long time._ _

__The merman’s eyes widened as soon as he registered there was a human there. A human that had seen him. A human that was staring at him._ _

__Before Lance’s eyes could take in any more of him, the sea dweller scrambled off the rock he rested on and into the ocean._ _

__The curious man was left with only two things as he grudgingly tore his eyes away from the water to head home that day._ _

__The splash of a tail in the water_ _

__And the word,_ _

___"Shit."_ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this work is based off the song "Swimming" by Florence and the Machine


	2. Rule #2: Never Talk to Humans

Lance tripped over one of the small rocks that littered the ground for the fourth time that day. His mind was enamored with other subjects, and couldn't be bothered with irrelevant things such as balance.

He had closed shop that day, as did most businesses on Mondays. He had never joined in the mass closing of shutters, but he did this day.  
Instead of standing behind a register, he was walking the cliffs, pursuing what he knew he would not find. 

Lance continued to explore more of the area, thinking back to the red creature. What would happen if he actually did find him again?

The merman was skittish around humans, and though he wouldn't hurt a fly, Lance had seemed to terrify the other. 

He could see the creature in his mind’s eye as clearly as a photograph. That red would never leave his thoughts, after all, he didn't see mermaids every day.  
Lance would give anything to catch a glimpse of the stunning creature again. He wanted to prove to himself it wasn't his imagination creating the red merman, but Lance knew he was real. He hoped so at least. 

The brunet climbed down the cliff to the cove once more, disheartened to find it empty. It was still the afternoon, and he told himself that he would have better luck later on in the night. 

Continuing the climb the cliffs, he started finding tidal pools which lead him to another alcove in the cliffside. Each shell and starfish trapped in the rocks carved a path towards an area of water safely tucked into the rocks. 

He finally reached the outcropping above the water, and let his gaze move hopelessly down. This would be a bust, just like the last three, which contained plenty of seaweed, but no mermen. 

At this point, Lance had strayed far from his house in his search, completely past where he had originally seen the red creature.

Yet laying casually against a rock, tail lazily swishing about in the water, was the man. 

His rock was tucked into the shade, making him almost impossible to see if the stark red of his tail had not given him away. 

Lance descended from the clifftop, moving over to the rock as quietly as he could.  
The merman’s eyes were closed, a peaceful expression resting on his face, fast asleep. Lance sat down next to him on the surprisingly smooth surface.

Apparently, mermen had fantastic instincts. 

The red man’s eyes blinked open blearily, sighing and stretching his stiff arms. One of which hit Lance’s chest, causing a pause between the two. 

Once again, eyes met, with fear still present in the other’s expression. 

“Uh...hi.”, Lance managed to get out. 

“Oh hell no,” the merman said, exasperated, and moved to slip into the water.

Panic showing in Lance’s voice as he reached out to the other, “No, waitwait I won't hurt you I promise!” 

His head turned away from the water and back to face Lance, looking skeptical. 

“Why should I believe you?”

Lance responded almost immediately, the filter on his speech nearly gone. 

“Because I want you to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this is a blast. I will not apologize for the constant cliffhangers however, I thoroughly enjoy making readers suffer.
> 
> Though fast update! This probably won't happen often but hey, it did this time. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed!


	3. Rule #3: Trust No One

The merman almost snorted at Lance’s remark. The man was dumbstruck and clearly did not have the best persuasive skills. Keith would have to take a different tactic to get out this time, or risk life and fin to fight his way, and hopefully never frequent this part of the shore again.

“Would you believe me if I said you’re dreaming?”

“I hope I’m not.”

The human’s eyes were still wide, taking in the appearance of the merman that he had managed to stop from swimming away this time. Lance was staring, trying to imprint every detail of this creature in his mind before he disappeared, possibly for good. While caught in his daze, he didn’t happen to notice the sea dweller hiding his face in his hands, murmuring softly to himself. When he finally snapped out of it, he barely managed to make out the words which struck him to the core. 

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck-”

Without Keith noticing, the male had moved forward enough to take the his hands and pull them away from his face.

“It’s okay.”

The sea dweller blinked a few times, surprised that a human of all things was being kind to him. Alarms were blaring loudly inside his head, which should have caused an impulsive panic. This couldn’t be genuine caring, it had to be a trap, a malicious rouse used to capture the merman for Poseidon knows what purposes.

His thoughts faltered when he looked at the man. His eyes were a beautiful brown that lit up when the sun caught them properly, warming Keith to the core.  
He wanted to trust those eyes with every fiber of his being. 

“What’s your name?” The human’s voice was soft and reassuring, making Keith feel safe. Though he couldn't let his guard down, he couldn't let this person find out any more than he already had.  
The merman sat in conflicted silence, staring at the brown eyed man with furrowed brows and a frown. At this, the man removed his hands from Keith’s face and returned to simply sitting across from his tidal pool. 

“I’m Lance. I mean, you don't have to tell me your name if you don't want to. Wait, what if can’t pronounce your name? What am I supposed to call you then?”

“Keith.”

Lance paused in his rambling, he had been caught up in his head too much to completely comprehend the other’s words. 

“Keith. Your name is Keith? Huh, I was expecting something…”

The merman let out a sigh before cutting him off. “Weirder, I know. Most merfolk don't have human names.”  
Keith began to wonder if he was giving away too much. The more time he spent with Lance the less it felt like a trap, perhaps the human really did have good intentions. Still, he should be cautious about these interactions. 

“I should head back.”

At the merman's words Lance seemed to deflate in on himself. 

“Really?” he cleared his throat, ignoring the knot in his stomach. “Do you want to meet again?”

After a moment of silence between the two and a hesitant expression on Keith’s face, he spoke up. 

“Yes.”

The human smiled, doing a mental fist pump. Hunk and Pidge weren't going to believe this, not that he should tell them. “Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow.”

A familiar splash could be heard as Keith slid back into his home, swimming away from the shore.  
To an outsider, only a shimmer of red would be visible in the corner of the and quickly dismissed. Lance on the other hand, now has a name to attach to those beautiful red scales.

Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...its been a while, huh?


	4. Rule #4: Never Sing

As promised, the red sea creature was waiting for Lance the next day. He was sunning himself on the same rock, eyes closed as the sun’s warmth lulled him to sleep. A wide smile spread across Lance’s lips as he approached the tidal pool, ditching his flip flops on a nearby rock. The last thing he wanted was to disrupt the merman’s sleep with the smack of his shoes on the slippery rocks. The man had persuaded Hunk, his best friend and co-owner, to take over the shop for the rest of the day just for this visit.

Of course he had suspiciously inquired about why he was leaving, though the excited smile on Lance’s face gave it all away. With a knowing look, Hunk had said farewell to his friend and sent him away to the beach. 

Now free from responsibility, the brunet intended on spending his day talking to Keith. Ever since his first glimpse at the merman, he had become enamored by him. He would have to wake Keith soon though, watching people sleep generally came off as creepy. As Lance dipped his toes into the cool water, dropping his brown canvas bag down next to him, he leaned closer to the merman.

“Wake up, sleeping beauty.”

Jolting upright, Keith let out a near hissing sound before he comprehended what was going on. The adrenaline in his system lessened and the pale creature gave Lance an incredulous look. “What the hell was that for?”

Lance’s eyes were wide as he spoke, shifting back towards Keith from the spot he had instinctively jumped to. “Okay, so scaring mermen in their sleep isn’t the best idea. I’ll admit to that.”

“You think?” the sea creature spoke in a much calmer tone this time, revealed that there was no real danger. 

“Well, as an apology, I come bearing gifts!” Lance grabbed his worn out bag, carefully opening the front flap. With careful hands, he took out a small black object, covered in dials and a few plugs.

“What...what is that?” 

“It’s a radio!” Lance responded, far too upbeat for the situation. He flipped on the power and a voice could be heard through the box, crackling with static. “It’s waterproof and everything.”

Keith’s lips upturned slightly at the sentiment of the man’s gift.  
“Ugh, it’s a news station. Next.” Lance began flipping through radio stations until he found one that seemed to tickle his fancy. As the quiet opening began,Keith started speaking over it.

“I hear this one on the beach all the time,” Keith mused, drawing a smile out of his companion.

He had always loved music, though he was told as a child that singing was forbidden. _Well, it’s not like I’m breaking rules already._ As the artist began to sing, Keith did as well. He found it quite enjoyable, even more so than he remembered. 

_I'm hurting, baby, I'm broken down_  
_I need your loving, loving_  
_I need it now_

As soon as the notes washed over Lance, he knew something was different. It was almost as if his goggles had fogged up, leaving his mind hazy.  
On the other side of things, Keith was completely oblivious to the brunet’s sudden silence. It had been so long since he had truly enjoyed music that he was letting the melody wash over him like a pleasant wave.

_When I'm without you_  
_I'm something weak_  
_You got me begging, begging_  
_I'm on my knees_

At this point, the man’s body was moving on it’s own, drawn in by the sea creature’s singing. Keith’s eyes were closed as he sang, unable to see Lance moving towards him, as if pulled by a marionette string

_I don't wanna be needing your love_  
_I just wanna be deep in your love_  
_And it's killing me when you're away_

Moving his head back and forth to the beat of the song, Keith was completely oblivious.

_Ooh, baby,_

Lance was practically over top of the merman at this point, his shadow just barely missing the other’s face. His heart was beating out of his chest and his mind was a blur. The man couldn’t comprehend anything that was going on, only that he wanted to be closer to Keith.

_'Cause I really don't care where you are_  
_I just wanna be there where you are_

A hand reached out towards Keith’s face.

_And I gotta get one little taste_

The same hand was now tilting the other’s head upwards, the two were so close that Keith could see the minuscule details on Lance’s face. The sudden movement halted his singing, causing both of them to snap out of it. Lance jerked away from the merman’s face, but not before he was completely shoved into the tidal pool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters will be updated more frequently.  
> I have no words for what these hands have just done.
> 
> Contact: woahtheresparky.tumblr.com  
> Fic Rec/Seach Blog: vldklanceficrecs.tumblr.com
> 
> Fic Tag: YSRMOS fic  
> Yes, I know the fic tag is long as hell, but what else am I supposed to do?
> 
> The song Keith was singing to Lance in this chapter was "Sugar" by Maroon 5


	5. Rule #5: Never Kiss a Human

“What the hell was that?”

“You think I know?” Lance sat up out of the water, rubbing his back from where it had hit the bottom. Raising a brow at Keith, he spoke in a low voice. “What did you do?”

Keith slid into the tidal pool with Lance. He needed to keep his tail wet, but more importantly he needed answers. “I didn’t do anything!” Ear fins flaring up in a defense, he tried his best to clear his mind. “Just give me a second to think, what changed before this started?”

Lance’s mind was still in a haze, though being suddenly dumped in water did help. “I got out the radio, you-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Keith cut him off. His eyes snapped open and became wide, staring at Lance. “Can I try something?”

“I’m not going to complain.”

“Lance!”

A small smile graced his lips as he scooted to sit next to Keith. “You can’t shove me in a tidal pool again, so I think we’re fine.”

Keith nodded, reaching over to turn the radio. “There, that’s one variable gone.” He relaxed, closing his eyes. “Ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Keith took that as a yes and began singing once again. His plan was recreate the situation, but paying much closer attention this time.

_”We are runnin' so fast_  
_And we never look back_  
_And whatever I lack, you make up”_

Opening his eyes and blinking a few times, Keith turned his head to Lance’s to see what was happening. He hadn’t heard or felt anything, so he doubted anything was happening to him. Well, at least it wasn’t anything Keith had done.  
At least, he thought this until he felt Lance’s lips on his own.

His eyes widened at the new feeling, but felt something warm spreading throughout his body and kept at it. Keith had no idea what he was doing, but Lance seemed to guide him along, cupping his cheek as they moved together. Keith’s thoughts were the scrambled ones this time, yet one managed to float out of the jumbled up mess. He jumped away from Lance, realizing what had just happened.

“Keith?”

He didn’t respond, too wrapped up in his head to give a proper answer. _I kissed a human. My singing made a human kiss me._

“Keith, you’re worrying me.”

“That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Lance paused, brows crinkling together. “I’m really sorry. Something happened and one minute I was sitting, the next minute I was kissing you.”

Keith knotted his hands in his hair, making several disgruntled noises and curses, before finally speaking again. “My singing controlled you, so I’m not a merman. I’m a goddamn siren, Lance, as in the kind that eat people.”

Recoiling at this notion, Lance had a panicked expression on his face. This only made Keith dip his head further down to his chest.

“That’s the price that comes with it. Cursed with being alone.” He sighed, pushing himself out of the water. “Want to try something fun, Lance? Go swimming later.” Keith’s voice was flat as he slid into the water.

Lance managed to snap out of it after the siren had left. There was too much information to process, especially the fact that his friend might eat him. Though he doubted they were still friends after all of that. He would be lying if he said that kissing Keith wasn’t something he had wanted to do. It was soft, warm, and everything he had wanted. It may have not been his decision to initiate it, but Lance was glad it happened. Keith probably had other opinions.

Now that he thought of it, Keith had reciprocated, right up until his identity crisis.  
Lance brushed it off, reassuring himself that it was some part of being a siren. They were the creatures that tried to lure sailors into the seas to drown them. Though Keith wasn’t a creature, and he wouldn’t kill him. Lance had enough sense in his body to know that he should have stopped his friend from swimming away. For all he knew, Keith might not come back.

The human was left sitting on the rocks of the cove, staring at the mysterious blue ocean until the sun began to set. He knew what hid beneath the waves now, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to.

The walk back to his shop was hell. Lance was in a complete daze from the events of the day, stomach turning over and mind filled with regret. After almost putting his flip flops on the wrong feet, forgetting the radio at the cove, and nearly plowing over a group of small children, Lance had arrived back at his trinket shop.

“Hey, Lance!” Hunk greeted him cheerfully, before his face turned sympathetic. “Oh no, what is it buddy?”

“It’s a long story. I’m surprised the green-eyed monster isn’t with you.”

“Oh, they are.”

“At least I’m not the one who’s been making heart eyes for the past two-” Pidge’s smug face fell the second they stepped out from behind the curtain that separated the back of the store. “You haven’t looked this bummed out since…” Turning to Hunk for an appropriate example, they were answered with only a shrug.

“What’s going on? You’ve never looked this bad.” Hunk led his friend to the back of the shop, tailed by Pidge.

“I can’t really talk about it,” Lance admitted, worrying his lip between his teeth. “I just...I just messed up, really bad.”

Pidge raised a brow, sitting cross legged on one of the Staff Room bean bag chairs. “Is this about the guy?”

Nodding, Lance sat down next to them. “Wait, what guy? I never said anything about a guy!”

Smirking, Pidge adjusted their glasses. “You just admitted to it. Now that we know, we can help.” Looking at Hunk, the two shared a meaningful look and nodded.

“Oh no,” Lance mumbled, looking between the two, eyes finally landing on Hunk.“I thought we were friends?”

“We are. That’s why we’re meeting him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Here's a new chapter, with a bit of Langst in it. If you've noticed, I've started changing the chapter names to the unofficial rules of being a siren.
> 
> Contact: woahtheresparky.tumblr.com  
> Fic Rec/Seach Blog: vldklanceficrecs.tumblr.com
> 
> Fic Tag: YSRMOS fic
> 
> The song Keith was singing was "for him." by Troye Sivan


End file.
